Mitch Johnson delivered one of the most forceful postgame press conferences of the postseason after the San Antonio Spurs’ 114-109 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday at Target Center, a game defined by the early ejection of Victor Wembanyama following a Flagrant 2 foul on Naz Reid.
The Spurs head coach framed the night around physicality and officiating, pointing to what he believes has become a sustained issue in how his young star is defended across the league.
“It’s getting to a point that if the people that are in charge of controlling the game and protecting the physicality of the game don’t do that, then at some point he’s gonna have to protect himself,” Johnson said. “We’ve been asking him to do that now for a while.”
Johnson acknowledged the severity of the foul while also stressing Reid’s condition after the contact. “That call, I’m glad Naz Reid was okay and sounded like the call was warranted,” he said.
But his tone sharpened as he expanded on the broader concern. “The physicality that people try to impose on him and the lack of protection is really disappointing,” Johnson said. “At some level, it’s starting to get actually disgusting just in terms of when he tries to fight through things and be professional and mature and deal with some of that stuff.”
He added, “Every single play on every single part of the floor, people are trying to impose their physicality on him. I get it. We get it. That’s part of the game. But at some stage… at some stage, he should be protected.”
Johnson emphasized that the situation is not about encouraging retaliation but survival within constant contact. “He’s gotten chucked. He’s gotten pushed down in transition, running freely, all the stuff. He doesn’t complain one time. We don’t complain because we’re just going to play. We don’t really give a shit. Excuse my language.”
He continued, “At some stage, he should be protected. And if not, he’s going to have to protect himself. And unfortunately, stuff like that happens.”
When asked whether Wembanyama’s reaction stemmed from frustration, Johnson rejected the framing. “No, I think it’s in getting hit on every play,” he said.
The Spurs coach also addressed whether league discipline should extend beyond the ejection. “No. Again, I don’t even know the legality or the rules, but there was zero intent,” Johnson said. “They did what they did because of the outcome of the play. So be it, but to have anything on top of that I think would be ridiculous.”
Despite the controversy, Johnson praised how his group responded after the ejection altered the game’s structure.
“Phenomenal,” he said. “We were leading there until the end, and they made some shots. We didn’t. But I thought the reaction was phenomenal.”
The game itself swung behind a dominant fourth quarter from Anthony Edwards, who scored 36 points, while Minnesota capitalized late to even the series 2-2. The Spurs, led by De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, kept pace offensively but struggled to close possessions without their anchor in the paint.
Johnson’s comments now shift attention toward Game 5 in San Antonio, where Wembanyama’s availability will be determined by league review. The series, already intense, has now moved into a more volatile phase shaped as much by officiating debate as on-court execution.
